MICHELE McCLINTICK
WIVB
Reprinted with Permission

GASPORT, N.Y. - A fast-moving fire has ravaged a historic Niagara County building.


News 4 is waiting to hear back from firefighters who are heading to the scene Friday morning to investigate, but they say it looks like this fire is no accident.

The rubble is still smoldering early Friday morning at the former Cold Storage Building on State Street, in Gasport.

Thursday night, nearly a dozen fire companies were on scene battling the raging flames that engulfed the historic structure.

Gasport Fire Chief Chris Wesolek describes the former fruit storage building as an eyesore to the town since it went vacant ten years ago.

"Every bit of this fire was fought from the exterior. No interior personnel were allowed in at all. This building is just too unsafe, unstable. It's been around for years and there's just nothing worth our lives to get inside this building," said Wesolek.

Investigators will be back on scene later in the morning to try and determine what caused the flames.

"It's definitely suspicious. It hasn't been occupied, there were no utilities involved, and something's not right," said Wesolek.

Officials have been working on a plan to demolish the building for years.

Copyright WIVB.com